For immediate release
August 15, 2007 |
Contact: Patti Murphy
(408) 453-6514 |
Santa Clara County Students Outperform Peers Statewide
San Jose, CA – Students in Santa Clara County continue to outperform
students statewide on the 2007 California Standardized Testing and Reporting
(STAR) Program, according to results analyzed by the Santa Clara County Office
of Education.
Fifty-four percent of Santa Clara County students in grades 2-11 were
proficient or advanced in English/Language, compared to 43 percent statewide.
Sixty percent of county students in grades 2-7 were proficient or advanced in
math, as compared to 41 percent statewide. The trend was consistent in science
and history/social science results.
In addition to scoring higher than their state counterparts, county student
enrollment in advanced math and science courses has increased. Since 2003,
students taking STAR Tests in Algebra I have increased by 33 percent from 2004
to 2007. Increases were also observed in Algebra II (38%), Biology (87%),
Chemistry (41%) and Physics (100%).
While the SCC students perform higher than their peers statewide, African
American, English Learners, Economically Disadvantaged, Hispanics and Students
with Disabilities continue to score lower than their Santa Clara County peers.
“We can be proud of our students’ accomplishments, but sadly we continue
to be plagued by the achievement gap,” said Dr. Colleen Wilcox, county
superintendent of schools. “Of course there is no singular practice to close
the gap, but teachers having high expectations for students and quality
instruction are key to making the difference.”
The scores were for tests taken in spring 2006. The California Department of
Education released the data to the public today. To view the SCCOE analysis, go
to www.sccoe.org under “News and Features.”
Date last updated: August 15, 2007
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